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1 1 (February 22, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govekrb0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Informing the Iegitive debate since 1914 Updated February 22, 2023 FEMA's Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) provides supplemental grants to local government and nonprofit organizations to support and expand existing programs that aid individuals and families who are, or are at risk of, experiencing hunger and/or homelessness. The EFSP is typically funded by annual appropriations provided in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act, and occasionally through supplemental appropriations. The EFSP has also been funded to supplement humanitarian relief for migrants encountered by DHS (EFSP-HR). Programn Authorization The EFSP was established in 1983 through the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (P.L. 98-8), and later authorized under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 (P.L. 100-77), renamed the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in 2000. It is codified at 42 U.S.C. §§11331 et seq. FEMA has continuing authority to administer the EFSP, as the original legislation establishing the EFSP did not include a sunset provision. EFSP funding, however, is not assured. The authorization of appropriations for the EFSP has not been extended beyond FY1994. Still, Congress has continued to provide funding to FEMA for EFSP program activities since FY1995. Program Structure National Board: The EFSP is governed by a National Board that, by statute, includes representatives from six private nonprofit organizations: (1) the American Red Cross, (2) Catholic Charities U.S.A., (3) the Council of Jewish Federations, Inc., (4) the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., (5) the Salvation Army, and (6) the United Way of America (also referred to as United Way Worldwide). United Way Worldwide serves as the EFSP National Board's secretariat and fiscal agent and administers the program day to day, along with the Director. The National Board is responsible for identifying localities in need of EFSP assistance and determining the amount of funding to allocate to such localities using a formula; establishing program policies, procedures, and guidelines, which vary by Phase (i.e., a grant cycle aligning with a tranche of appropriated funding; see Table 1); and disbursing the funding as smaller grants. For the EFSP-HR, the National Board makes the final award determinations and disburses funding directly to awarded organizations. Director: The National Board is chaired by a Director, who, by statute, is the FEMA Administrator. Local Board: Each jurisdiction designated for funding must establish a Local Board. Membership mirrors the National Board and also includes the highest-ranking local government official, a representative who is or was homeless, and a tribal representative (if applicable). Local Boards are responsible for advertising funding availability, setting funding priorities, determining community needs, establishing client eligibility, selecting grant recipients, monitoring recipients' program compliance, and grant reporting. For the EFSP-HR, Local Boards review and submit applications, with their recommendations, to the National Board. Local Recipient Organizations (LROs): LROs are EFSP grant recipients. They can be local governmental, nonprofit, or faith-based organizations. Prograrm Funding Award Process After Congress appropriates EFSP funding to FEMA, FEMA issues a Notice of Funding Opportunity and awards the funding as a single grant to the National Board. To determine a jurisdiction's regular EFSP grant eligibility, the National Board uses a formula that considers population data, poverty data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census's American Community Survey, and unemployment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jurisdictions must meet specific criteria to qualify for regular EFSP funding. These criteria may vary by Phase. For example, per the National Board's website, a jurisdiction could qualify for Phase 40 (FY2022) funding if it met one of the following criteria: 300 or more unemployed with a 3.9% rate of unemployment or 300 or more unemployed with a 12.8% rate of poverty. EFSP jurisdiction allocations are determined by dividing the available funds by the number of unemployed persons within each qualifying jurisdiction, which creates a per capita rate. In addition, any jurisdiction within a given state (formula-qualified or not) may receive EFSP funding through the State Set-Aside process. The National Board allocates a portion of the appropriated funds-for example, 8% of the regular EFSP award for Phases 39 and ARPA-R (FY2021)-for such purposes based on the unemployment rates in the jurisdictions that do not qualify under the formula. These grants can be used to address pockets of homelessness and poverty or immediate needs. State Set- Aside Committees act as Local Boards to manage these funds and establish a formula/criteria to fund jurisdictions within the state. There is no national or regular EFSP application process. Instead, LROs are selected by the Local Boards of the jurisdictions that are designated for funding. The National Board disburses funds directly to LROs recommended by the Local Boards. For the EFSP-HR, rather than formula-based allocations, the National Board prioritizes communities most affected

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